Shoot to Thrill
by RinSabreDelta
Summary: Bond makes a new friend. Bold, brash...and immune to the usual tricks.
1. Chapter 1

Eyes trained on the target, Bond sat at an outdoor café and sipped his tea. He was worried that the target was getting suspicious, but without a partner he couldn't just let the man wander off. It was incredibly frustrating and left Bond wishing he had a stronger drink.

"Hello there." Bond's eyes snapped up to see a young woman taking the seat across from him. She had a bright smile on her face and he gave her a quick once over. Bright red hair fell just passed her shoulders and deep green eyes looked back at him with interest. A smattering of freckles graced her nose and cheekbones; under different circumstances, he'd enjoy her company, but now was not the time.

"Sorry, miss, but I'm afraid I'm a bit busy." He rose to find a new vantage point, eyes darting to the man as she opened the menu.

"It might be best if you sit back down, Mr. Bond." He froze, looking down at her again. Her tone was still light and she hadn't looked up from the menu. He sat back down slowly, studying her closely now. She gave him another friendly smile, though her eyes darted around, taking in their surroundings with a precision he knew too well. He reached slowly for his gun, and she shook her head. "I really wouldn't, if I were you. Someone might get the wrong idea."

"Who are you?" His voice was hard, and yet again he was wishing for some back up. Carefully, he placed both hands in view on the table, folding them together.

"A friend. Actually, a colleague of sorts." She turned her gaze back to the menu as she continued speaking. "There was a…breach, at MI6. My team and I have been called in to help." A breach. Likely, the digital sort. He gave a huff of breath, glancing around. His target still hadn't moved on, and now he knew he'd been made.

"Is there a plan here?" In truth, he had very little patience. MI6 should have been taking care of this in house, not calling in another agency. Based on her accent, he'd place her as American; CIA then. He couldn't help but wonder why they hadn't sent Felix.

"Yup. Extract you to a safe location. Debrief and send you on your way home for a short while." He was already shaking her head, and her smile faded just a touch. "That wasn't a suggestion. I have orders I intend to follow." There was something about the way she said it; he knew she'd do everything short of dragging him back in a body bag. Slowly, he nodded, and she relaxed. "Great. So, to the task at hand. You have a target within view who hasn't taken the opportunity to leave." It was something he'd begun to realize, and it worried him even more. "Does he have a standing kill order, or is he meant to be brought in alive?" The question caught him off guard, and he stared at her for a bit. She arched a brow, her voice a bit more harsh. "Well? Dead or alive, Mr. Bond?"

"Dead." No sooner than the word was out of his mouth, the man dropped to the ground, the back of his head seeming to have exploded. The woman reached over and took his teacup, sipping the drink before frowning. He watched as people scattered from the body and soldiers moved in, securing the area.

"No, definitely not. Don't know how you guys drink that." She stood and he followed suit, letting her lead him away and down an alley. A non-descript car sat waiting for them, and she slid into the driver's seat easily. Soon enough, they were driving out of the city, taking a country road to an unknown destination.

"So, do I at least get the name of my colleague?" He glanced to her and she smirked.

"Saskia."


	2. Chapter 2

They'd been driving for two hours and Saskia was ready to lose her mind. Bond had demanded repeatedly to be allowed to drive, and now she was wondering if he was just doing it to ruffle her feathers. After the third time, she'd resorted to ignoring him, staying silent as she turned the radio on to whatever station she could find. He'd turned to face out the window, only turning to ask that same ridiculous question.

"Saskia?" She ignored him as usual, concentrating on the road. "Tell me about yourself." The request caught her off guard, and it took her a moment to respond.

"Not entirely sure what you'd want to know." She glanced at him briefly, and he moved to turn the music down. He faced her, giving his full attention.

"Anything." He seems to think for a bit. "How about your full name, since you know mine?" She thought it over for a bit, wondering how much information she was supposed to share with her charge. Honestly, she hadn't known what to expect when they warned she might have trouble with him. Saskia was aware of his reputation, and she wondered if her own was the reason she was sent for him.

"Saskia Jones."

"No middle name?" His tone was teasing, and she wondered if he honestly thought she would share something like that.

"Not one you need to know, Mr. Bond." Her attention moved back to the road, though she could feel his gaze on her.

"Please, call me James." There was something in his tone that struck her, though she couldn't place it just yet. She shook her head, lapsing back into silence, though she knew it wouldn't last. True to form, Bond spoke up again. "I'd appreciate it if we could stop for some food and rest. We've been driving an awful long time." Her jaw clenched; it was an obvious ploy, and it was almost as though he thought she was stupid. Damn British superiority. Choosing to ignore him, she continued to drive on, knowing they would reach their destination soon enough. Bond sighed and turned back towards the window, and she wondered if he was this dramatic with everyone he worked with.

She was tougher than he had originally believed. Bond had been doing his very best to distract her or convince her to give him the wheel, and she ignored it all with surprising stoicism. She'd passed his first test, that's for sure, though he still didn't like her plan for extraction. He spent the rest of the drive quietly planning his inevitable argument with M over what happened, only being pulled from his thoughts by the car rolling to a stop in front of a large house in the middle of nowhere. Saskia sent a quick text, eyes darting around to study the growing shadows. A light flashed a code in one of the windows, and she moved to climb out. They entered the building together, and he was surprised to find a rather warm, homely place. Blackout curtains kept light from showing out the windows and giving them away, and a fire crackled in the fireplace. As far as safe-houses went, this was certainly the most comfortable he'd been in.

"007." At the sound of M's voice, both agents turned towards a doorway. The older woman stepped into the room, and just as quickly Saskia made her way into the kitchen. She wasn't surprised to find the MI6 Quartermaster there; he seemed to be working on something new, and she pulled up a chair to watch quietly. He gave her a small smile, though didn't take his eyes off his project.

"So, you and 007 made it back in one piece." She nodded, giving a smile as his eyes moved to her face for a moment. "Did you at least let him finish his mission?"

"He was taking too long. I had one of my guys handle it."

"Oh, I'm sure he hated that." Saskia shrugged, standing and moving to get a snack from her stash.

"It was too quick for him to really process. If he's as bad as everyone says, though, I'm sure I'll hear about it soon enough." She didn't know what to expect, but she knew she would be ready for whatever happened. So far, the only thing Bond had proved was just how annoying he could be. She sat with Q quietly after that, watching him work as she snacked. M announced she would be leaving shortly after, and Bond headed straight upstairs, leaving Saskia and Q to hang out together.


End file.
